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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Why is she doing this? Advice needed!

15 replies

GalaxyDefender · 07/05/2013 08:06

So a few weeks ago, we had GalaxyKitten spayed. Everything went fine, she seems fine in herself.
But pretty much ever since, she has repeatedly widdled on my things. I say my things because it is literally only things belonging to me that she pees on - mostly my duvet/bed, which is infuriating. She has also peed on my beloved converse, but on the bright side they're lovely and clean now

Why would she be doing this? My initial thought was stress, but she's perfectly fine now and can go outside (which she is loving!) so can't be that bothered anymore!
I did think that it might be because I was suffering terrible PMS and subsequently came on ... would she react to that? It has to be something to do with me, as it's only things I've touched, and I am the only other female in the house. Could it be hormone related? We even tried changing washing powder in case she associated the lavender smell with the lavender outside the front door ...

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 07/05/2013 09:22

Hi Galaxy

What are your current official littering arrangements? Does she have a tray or two inside the house?

NeverTooManyCats · 07/05/2013 09:46

I thought the same as cozie. It may be useful to add an extra litter tray, maybe where she is having the accidents and then gradually move it to where its more suitable?

It could be hormonal after the fix. Try some feliway and see if it calms her down.

Is the peeing intentional? (does she go to the places to pee) or is it accidental?

Original poster

GalaxyDefender · 07/05/2013 09:51

She has a tray, yes, and she was using it fine before. I may get another one to see if that makes a difference!

She is intentionally peeing, I've caught her at it a few times. Never in the exact same place twice, either, it is always very specifically on my stuff, or my side of the bed, which is what made me wonder. Will try the feliway stuff as well, I think my sister uses it with her tom (who is very nervy from his days as a stray) and it seems to work for her.

Thankyou ladies

OP posts:

NeverTooManyCats · 07/05/2013 09:58

It could be possible that its due to your own hormones, whenever i was pmsing etc my males would cling to me. Wait and see what happens when you are finished with your time of month and see what happens. It might be that because the fix is just recent that she'll calm down soon.

MumnGran · 07/05/2013 10:10

Usually cats do this to mark their space.
You mentioned that she is going outside and enjoying it? is this a fairly recent new venture? co-inciding approx. with her going out for the first time?

I would strongly suspect that there are other cats in the area and she has felt threatened outside (or potentially that a 'visitor' may even have encroached into the house.

Once a cat has peed on an area, it is then defined as somewhere that they 'can' go. (thats the cats headset obviously not yours!) so you will need to re-train .... and that will take a little patience.

First you need to ensure that no other cats are coming into the house.
Then you need to control her outside trips to times when you can be with her, and act as a bigger bully if another cat comes into her garden.
You need to exclude her from all rooms where she has peed inappropriately. Ensure laundry baskets etc that might be a target, are not accessible, and (yes ) do add a second litter tray that is by the door she exits and enters the garden from.

It will take a little patience, and some inconvenience, but you can train her out of this marking behaviour ....and you obviously adore her, so its worth the effort now.

x
P.S The same tactics will work even if the behaviour has had another trigger

Original poster

GalaxyDefender · 07/05/2013 10:20

Oh! DP said a ginger tom came in the other day while I was out, and GalaxyKitten sent him packing, I forgot about that! Maybe that stressed her out too. My poor baby. She does have prior form for marking my shoes/coat when I've come home from my parents (they have several cats).

We tend to go with her when she goes outside, because she was so nervy about it at first. She's getting more confident though, and goes for trips on her own when we're not looking Luckily for us, most of the cats in the neighbourhood hang out on the other side of the block, so she doesn't see them too often.

I'm going to go get a new litter tray right now

OP posts:

MumnGran · 07/05/2013 11:34

Glad you have at least found the cause of the trouble!
Marking just from smell of other cats on you means she is obviously very sensitive, and did enough to see him off but the threat has spooked her.

Hopefully, if you can jump on it now, and give her lots of reassurance that her space is safe, then she will revert to normal peeing behaviour

MumnGran · 09/05/2013 08:08

How is it going, Galaxy?

cozietoesie · 09/05/2013 08:21

Galaxy - if DP saw the ginger tom once, who is to say that he hasn't been in more than that when DP and you aren't around ? How is he getting in - and if through a cat flap, have you thought of getting a chip flap to prevent him?

Original poster

GalaxyDefender · 10/05/2013 23:56

Update - all is well! We haven't had an accident in three days now so it's looking good.

cozie, we don't have a cat flap (HA place) so our girl gets in and out through an open window so there's no real way to stop other cats. There's not been a point these past few days where one of us hasn't been in, and the tom's not been back so hopefully GalaxyKitten scared him off

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 11/05/2013 07:50

Well done GalaxyKitten and you all then.

fudgesmummy · 11/05/2013 08:09

Omg I was just about to start a thread about almost exactly the same thing!!!

Our 11 year old neutered cat Fudge has started weeing in the house-this morning at 5 o'clock I was woken up by a warm wet feeling on my back

A new family has recently moved in next door and their girl cat has decided that she would rather live with us. We regularly come home to find her fast asleep on our bed. We haven't got a cat flap so she comes in through a window or when ever a door is opened (and as I'm a childminder this is dozens of times a day) and now that the weather is better the back door is open most of the day.......

Our 15 month old neutered boy doesn't seem that bothered by her.

Any further advice on what we could do to stop Fudges current behavior would be gratefully received

TIA

cozietoesie · 11/05/2013 08:16

Are you in the same position as Galaxy, fudgesmummy ? (can't put a catflap in) because it sounds to me as if Fudge doesn't like the interloper. A chip flap could be a good idea. But keep/chase her out anyway - there's no reason to make your house a home from home for her.

cozietoesie · 11/05/2013 08:24

PS - you may have to start keeping doors and easily accessible parts of windows closed during the day for a while - until she gets the message.

MumnGran · 12/05/2013 13:56

Cozie has summed it up!
Are you at home during the day to watch? As the new girl is making herself so much at home, you may need to be hyper vigilant ...and quite determined. Worth investing in a small waterspray (the sort you get for plants) and using it whenever the invader shows her nose in the garden - let alone the house!
(Water is a safe deterrent, but cats hate it so you can use it effectively without harming the cat in any way)
You may need to keep this up for a few days but she will hopefully get the message.

Also, if the boy has peed on anything un-washable such as carpet, then I would ban him from those areas for a little while. Once they have peed in an area, the cats mind says its an OK pee spot, so you need to reset the headset again.

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